Fashionable cause
illustration by Maria Rondon
Ottawa native Rania Abdulla’s event makes doing good look good too
OTTAWA’S REPUTATION IN the fashion industry is about to get a makeover. Rania Abdulla, an Ottawa-born designer and co-organizer of last year’s first-ever Ottawa Fashion Week, has stitched together an entirely new kind of fashion event in the nation’s capital. Abdulla is the wardrobe stylist and event planner behind Fashion CURES a la mode—a four-day fashion extravaganza with a philanthropic flair.
“It’s my baby,” said Abdulla. “There’s Capital Fashion Week, and there’s Ottawa Fashion Week, but [neither] really lasted. I’m hoping that this is going to be a way for fashion to last in the city.”
The event will include multiple runway shows, auctions, and photography exhibits, alongside specialized booths featuring local designers and makeup artists, as well as mini makeover, massage, and manicure stations. It has been designed to offer more than your average fashion show. Created as an inventive way to raise funds for the research conducted by Ovarian Cancer Canada (OCC), Fashion CURES a la mode is a cause close to Abdulla’s heart.
“I’ve worked on [many] shows and I knew that we didn’t have something as big and as strong here [in Ottawa] to promote fashion. At the same time, I wanted to raise money for ovarian cancer, because it had affected me personally—my mother and my grandmother [were afflicted with it],” explained Abdulla. “I felt [I could] combine two good things and make something that’s solid in Ottawa.”
The OCC, which has been key in the planning and organization of Abdulla’s event, reports that 2,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer annually, and approximately 1,700 of these cases become fatal. Abdulla, along with the organization, has found a perfect way to keep this cause in the minds of sponsors and attendees alike by including a speech by an ovarian cancer survivor. The speaker, whose talk includes discussion of her own experience battling ovarian cancer, will inform listeners about the many misconceptions relating to the disease and the difficulty of detecting it.
The OCC is not the only important player on Abdulla’s team. The Fashion CURES a la mode organizer also has countless sponsors and volunteer staff working alongside her designers, makeup artists, and models to get this event on its feet. Many of the groups involved are Ottawa-based, including Kania couture, local spa The Loft Ottawa, and Guerilla magazine.
Abdulla’s clientele also includes several high-profile, multinational companies such as Smashbox cosmetics, L’Oreal Paris makeup, and Nine West shoes. The list of designers taking part, however, is arguably the most exciting part. Project Runway Canada’s Jessica Biffi and Jason Meyers are showcasing new work, and Montreal designers Eugenia Leavitt and Valérie Dumaine are also involved. As though the innumerable new pieces on display weren’t exciting enough, attendees will also have the opportunity to meet and talk with many of the designers involved.
“People always want to meet the people behind the scenes,” said Abdulla. “This is a chance for people to meet [the designers], up front and personally.”
While no specific donation goal has been set for the event, Abdulla hopes that the event will be a success both as a charitable opportunity and as a great new way to get people acquainted with the talent in Ottawa’s fashion scene.
Fashion CURES a la mode will take place Nov. 4–7. For tickets, lists of sponsors, and a program of planned events visit fashioncuresalamode.com.
